Automatic brush for railway-tracks



(No Model.)` A

G. J. SMITH. y AUTOMATIG BRUSH FOR RAILWAY TRACKS.

Patented Feb. 19, 1895.

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Illlll :s i i s gig ` lSfm'ilas PAT-ENT GEORGE'J., SMITH, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

AUTOMATIC BRUSH RAILWAY-TRACKS.

SPECIFICATION forming partof-Lettersv-Patent No. 534,290, datedfFebruary 19, 1895. Application fina June 25,1894. serai No. 515.650. (No mode To all whom t may concern: t K

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Covington, Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Brushes for Street-RailwayTracks,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to appliances for clearing the rails of dirt or minor obstructions in front of the wheels of an advancing street car; and consists, as hereinafter more fully described, of an appliance adapted to be attached to a street car, embodying a pair of revolving brushes provided with suitable driving devices, adapted to be thrown into or out of connection with one of the revolving axles of the car at the will of the driveror attendant, and into or out of operative relations with the track: the general object being to produce a simple and inexpensive device, of materials easily obtainable in the market, requiring but little labor or skill to assemble and tit together.

Mechanism embodying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1, is a side elevation of my invention complete attached to the car; and Fig. 2, is a plan view of same.

Referring now to the drawings, A designates the lbody of the car, B B two of its bearing wheels, and o their connecting axle.

The apparatus embodying my invention, consists: irst, of a pair of cylindrical brushes, O, C, rigidly mounted upon an axle, c, journaled in and between the ends of a yoke, D, pivotally attached to the under side of the car, A, or its projecting platform, p,-the attachment being at a point forward of the vertical plane of the brushes. The brushes are spaced apart to the gage of the track, and are adj ustably held suspended by means of a cord, or light chain, cl, attached as at d to the axle, c, passing thence vertically to and over an idler-sheave, d2, at the under side of the car platform, and thence forward to one end of a bell-crank-lever, e, secured in a bracket frame, e2, beneath the car platform. To the opposite end of the bell-crank-lever, e, is a foot-rest, e', projecting through the platform of the car, to a position convenient to the foot of the driver or attendant. The construction is such, that, upon depressing the foot-rest and moving the bell-cranklever,the brushes are raised from the track, and upon releasing the foot-rest, they drop again toward the track by their own weight.

The means for rotating the brushes are as l followsz-Between the brushes, rigidly attached to the axle, c, at any convenient point, is a sprocket-wheel, f, carrying an endless sprocket chain, F, which passes to the rear beneath the car axle, to and around a similar sprocket-wheel, f', journaled between the jaws of a yoke, g, vpivotally hung upon a bracket, g', depending from the frame work of the running gear of the car. The last named sprocket-wheel is suspended from the under side of the car body by a cord, h, carried upward over an idler-sheave, h', and thence forward to a bell-crank-levenz', pivoted in a bracket, 2, beneath the car platform, p, and provided With a foot-rest, i', extending through the car platform convenient to the foot of the attendantgthe construction being such, that, upon depressing said last mentioned foot-rest, the sprocket-wheehf', will be elevated; and when released, will again fall by its own weight. To give motion to the rotating brushes, an engaging sprocket-wheel,

S, is secured to the caraxle, b, above and in the vertical planeof the sprocket chain, F;l

adjustments enable the attendant'to throw the brushes into or out of operation, as desired, and also to adjust the brushes to the level of theltrack.

Suitable catches of any convenient form (not shown herein) are provided to retain the foot-rests, t', e', in any position to which they are set.

As thus constructed, the brushes may be at any time thrown into operation when the car is in motion, to clear the rails of dirt, snow, dsc., or be instantly thrown ont of operation until again needed.

The device is found to be especially useful for the use of electric railways where ground contacts are made at the wheel base upon the track.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesl. In a street car, the combination of th'pivoted yoke; the axle journaled therein, carrying the brushes and a sprocket-Wheel; the `rear sprocket-Wheel mounted in a suspended yoke; the sprocket-wheel upon the car axle; and the sprocket chain connecting the brushshaft and the rear sprocket-Wheel and extended beneath and in the vertical plane of the driving sprocket upon the car axle; and

, driving sprocket upon the car axle, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and sealT in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE J. SMITH.

XVitnesses:

C. B. SIMVALL, THOMAS TOWERS. 

